Better Man
by MissingMommy
Summary: Seeing his family one last time is worth dying for, though. :: Albus and Marvolo Gaunt's ring.


For QL season 2, Beater 1. Extra prompts are: magenta, freedom, and all that is gold does not glitter - Tolkien.

The shack is even more run down than when Albus first saw it through Bob Ogden's memory. The trees and moss have overgrown the shack, and the wood appears to rotted in most places. If it wasn't for the magic that is most likely keeping the shack standing, Albus fears that it could collapse at any moment.

Still, he makes his way into the shack. The inside is in even worse condition than the outside. It's dark and it takes a moment for his eyes to adjust. An awful smell hits Albus' nose. He cannot pinpoint the exact source of the smell, but he knows that the skeleton still sitting in the armchair contributed.

He pulls out his wand and starts his usual routine. He, first, checks for signs of life, before moving on to any recent magical activity. And then he searches for signs of wards. There's two wards in the shack, underneath the floorboard, near the skeleton.

He's careful as he makes his way through the wards. One wrong move could activate the traps the wards contain. It takes him over an hour to diffuse them. He puts down his wand beside him and takes the Sorting Hat off his head. He lifts the floorboard gingerly. A golden box is lying there.

Picking up his wand again, Albus sets to check for more traps. After a few spells, he opens the box. Upon velvet sits a golden ring with a large black stone. He picks it up, unable to keep his curiosity at bay.

"You should just destroy it," the Hat says.

Albus looks at the Hat on the floor. "I know," he assure it. He watches as the sword of Godric Gryffindor appears within the Hat. "Thank you," he murmurs, pulling it out.

He lays the sword next to him on the floor. And he continues to inspect the ring. It's a rather ugly ring, but he suspects that it was once beautiful in the eyes of it's owner. But now, it looks like it was made clumsily and in a hurry. The black stone is interesting, though; something that he hasn't seen before. Upon a closer look, he spots an engraving.

He knows that engraving anywhere. He's spent most of his childhood looking for them. It's the mark of the Hallows. Unable to help himself, he tightens his hand around the ring.

Before his eyes, his parents and his sister appears. It's not like the Mirror of Erised, where they are smiling at him. There is a frown upon his mother's face. His father is wearing a questioning look.

But his sister….his sister is wearing the magenta robes that he and Aberforth put her to rest in. She is still wearing that terrified look. The look that Albus wishes he could erase. "Why?" she questions. Her voice echoes through the silent shack.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm so sorry, Ariana."

"You should've stopped," she replies.

He bows his head. "I know. I should've but I didn't. And I still can't forgive myself for that."

"You should've stopped," she repeats.

He glances up to meet his sister's eyes. "Stopped what?"

She glances around airly. And he is reminded of all the time that she's stopped mid-conversation. His heart aches at the memory. She looks like she isn't going to respond anymore so his mother speaks for her. "This," she motions around. "You know as well as we do, we aren't alive. This sort of thing can drive you mad."

He shakes his head, unable to form an answer. In his sadness, Albus' hand opens and he drops the ring. His family disappears from before his eyes. He reaches for the ring.

"I wouldn't do that again," the Hat warns.

Albus glances in between the ring and the Hat, torn. He knows that the Hat is right; it's a bad idea to be caught up in the power of the Resurrection stone. But he's spent all this time searching for this,waiting for the moment where he could see his family again.

And despite his better judgment, he picks up the ring and slips it on his left hand. His family appears before his eyes again. Immediately he knows he's made a mistake. He loses feeling in his fingers as the skin starts to blacken.

He pulls the ring from his finger, fumbling with it. He watches as they disappear once more. Placing it on the ground, Albus picks up the sword and slams it against the ring. A high pitched scream is emitted as a white wisp gains it's freedom.

Looking down at his hand, Albus notices that his entire hand is black and it is making it's way up his wrist. He shoves the sword back into the Hat, and picks up the ring.

He Disapparates.

Once he makes it back to his office, he summons Severus to his side to help with the curse that is coursing through his veins. He knows that he doesn't have much longer to live, judging by the amount of his skin that has already turned black. Severus may help by slowing it down, but it won't be for long, he's sure.

Seeing his family one last time is worth dying for, though. Because now, he can die in peace, knowing that he had a chance to apologize to Ariana for everything.

In the time until Severus appears, Albus inspects the ring further. He realizes that he can pull the Resurrection stone from it's place. Once that is done, Albus lets it stay on the desk.

He'll leave the stone to Harry. He's sure that Harry will use it more wisely than he, himself, has. Because Harry is a far better man than he could ever be.


End file.
